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Ship in a Bottle (episode)
Professor Moriarty returns, only this time he gains control of the real Enterprise as well. Summary Teaser Data and Geordi La Forge are enjoying a Sherlock Holmes mystery holodeck program. When Data tries to prove the guilt of the alleged murderer, by throwing a matchbox at him which he catches with his right hand, Data is puzzled as the program should have made him left-handed. Geordi freezes the program and calls for Reginald Barclay and asks him to examine the program as this was not the first time something went wrong with it. After saving the program Data and Geordi ran into Barclay outside the holodeck. Barclay thinks it might have been a glitch in the matrix diodes and assures them he will solve the problem. While performing a diagnostic on all files concerning Sherlock Holmes program 3A, via the holodeck arch, he discovers files stored in protected memory. When Barclay runs the files contained within it, Professor James Moriarty appears, Sherlock Holmes his nemesis. Barclay throws his diagnostic device at him and establishes Moriarty is left-handed, as he should be. Barclay, unaware of the previous encounter between Moriarty and Captain Jean-Luc Picard, is surprised that Moriarty knows the Captain. Barclay is shocked to hear that Moriarty knows what he is, a holodeck character, even more when he learns that Moriarty experienced the passage of time. Denying Moriarty's claim that he is alive, Barclay tells Moriarty he cannot leave the holodeck when he is asked if this is possible. Moriarty suspects that Picard has forgotten all about him, to get him off the holodeck, and demands to see him in the sitting room at Baker Street 221. Barclay explains that he needs to store Moriarty in memory again until he has contacted Captain Picard. When Moriarty is gone Barclay leaves the holodeck, a brief moment later Moriarty reappears again, with an amused smile on his face. Act One The ''Enterprise''-D has come to the Detrian system to observe the collision of two planets and the formation of a new star. Back in engineering, Barclay tells La Forge that Moriarty has appeared and that he wants to talk to the captain. With the captain, they return to the holodeck at 221 Baker Street. They enter, and run the Moriarty program. Picard greets Moriarty, and tells him how they spent much time investigating how he became self-aware, and how he may manage to leave the holodeck. They turned over their findings to Starfleet's best scientific minds, but still are awaiting an answer. Picard is concerned that Moriarty experienced the passage of time. Moriarty gets angry of the being of Picard. Picard opens the exit, and explains, using a book, that objects will disappear when they leave the real world. Moriarty claims consciousness, and he walks straight out of the holodeck, maintaining his molecular cohesion. :"I think, therefore I am" Act Two Data calls for two security officers. Everyone believes that this is impossible. Picard wishes for them to go to see Dr. Crusher. Her tricorder scan reveals that he is real, and La Forge detects no traces of loss of molecular cohesion. Moriarty's DNA is a bit unusual, but he is functioning normally. Picard assures him that the crew will continue to investigate. Moriarty wishes to go "above deck," and is surprised to see the stars outside the Ten Forward window, remarking that they are adrift in the heavens. Picard explains to Moriarty that they are on a starship. Moriarty wishes to learn the ship's means of propulsion and how far they are from Earth. Picard offers to give him books, and asks that he remain aboard for a while. Moriarty does not care, and is excited to live his life. Picard reminds him that criminal behavior will not be tolerated in the 24th century, to which Moriarty replied that he was only a criminal because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made it so. He promises that as a person, he is no criminal. Picard enumerates the opportunities that await him in this century. He thanks Picard for his graciousness, and asks if they can bring out Countess Regina Bartholomew. Picard explains that they would have no idea how. Moriarty wishes to bring out the Countess using a method to similar that which brought him out. He becomes angry, and begs the captain to give him his wish. In the observation lounge, the senior staff and Barclay are talking about whether they should or should not comply with Moriarty's request. Counselor Troi understands Moriarty's frustration at being alone, without his love. Dr. Crusher thinks that they should at least fully analyze Moriarty before performing the procedure again, and Barclay agrees with this. Data remarks that they have no idea if Moriarty is permanent, and advises not to recreate their actions until they fully understand what happened. Picard agrees, and decides to hold off on the request. He asks for the investigation to continue, and goes to tell Moriarty of their decision. Picard tells Moriarty that they have decided to postpone action. Moriarty says he is tired of waiting. He remarks that he would love the Countess even if the program did not mean it to be – he adores her. Picard tells him that they will act as soon as they learn enough. Picard is then called to the bridge by Commander Riker. On the bridge, Riker shows the two planets. Picard asks Worf to launch four class-4 probes towards the planets, but the computer will not respond. Command functions have been rerouted, and Moriarty reveals that he has transfered command controls and taken over the Enterprise. Act Three Worf brandishes a phaser, but Moriarty warns him not to fire. Picard explains the Enterprise is in grave danger. Moriarty tells that he will relinquish control once the Countess is in the real world. Picard orders Data to start working on a solution. In engineering, Data, Barclay, and La Forge are discussing the possibility of using the transporter. Barclay asks what would happen if they attempted to beam a holodeck object off the grid. La Forge explains that a holodeck object has no pattern to lock on to, making the attempt impossible. If the object could be locked on, the transporter might work. They think that they might use the pattern enhancers to create a way to lock on. At the same time, Picard comes to inform them that Moriarty will not disrupt normal ship's functions as long as they work on the problem. Picard also asks La Forge to find a way to give control back to the captain. Barclay goes to the holodeck to set the pattern enhancers, and enters to find the Countess there. He explains that he is there to deliver the pattern enhancers. The Countess asks why they have to placed in a specific place. The Countess immediately recognizes that this has something to do with taking her and Moriarty into the real world. Barclay is amazed that Moriarty has given her consciousness. She talks about all her adventures to Africa, saying that she had a wonderful time. Moriarty returns, and explains how he gave the Countess consciousness. The Countess explains how they will be using the devices to take a chair off the holodeck. Moriarty asks Data to proceed. Data attempts to beam the chair off, but it loses its molecular cohesion as soon as it comes to the transporter pad. Data explains that they may be able to learn something from this, and checks the transporter logs to see the results, but there is no information in the log, because the transporter is fake. In engineering, La Forge explains that there is a way to reinstate command functions. Picard issues his command codes, but they don't seem to work. Then Data realizes that La Forge is not real, because he is working with his left hand, and explains that Moriarty never left the holodeck. Act Four La Forge is confused at this. Data explains that there are clues to support this. He lists the clues, then throws his combadge at the reactor core. It reveals the wall of the holodeck. However, the computer will not accept the captain's command to discontinue the simulation, and the combadges are tied into the simulation. Data explains that only he, Picard and Barclay are real. Moriarty also now has a way to gain control of the real Enterprise. And they are vulnerable to the planetary collision. Now the real Riker is speaking to Moriarty, who has taken control of the real Enterprise. Riker explains that it is impossible for Moriarty to leave, but Moriarty explains how the fantasy crew are working on the solution. Riker asks La Forge to work on it as well, along the same lines as the simulation characters. He starts to raise the warp core temperature to threaten the crew, then brings it back down again. Picard then goes to the holodeck to talk to the countess. He explains that they may be able to transport them off the holodeck by uncoupling the Heisenberg compensators. But he will only do this if Moriarty releases computer control. On the real Enterprise, there is the danger of a gravity well forming that could destroy the Enterprise in less than an hour. And Moriarty has set up force fields to the access point to holodeck three. Worf is trying to disable them. Moriarty asks if the Countess remembers exactly what the captain says. He calls the arch, and tells Riker of the solution Picard found. He explains to Riker what can be done and how to do it. Act Five thumb|The newly-formed Detrian Star Moriarty and the Countess are preparing themselves in the holodeck, and Riker explains that they are ready. They step into the transport area and are beamed off the holodeck into the real real world. Moriarty then asks for a shuttlecraft to explore the galaxy. He says he will not release the vessel until he sees it out of a shuttlecraft window. Riker complies, advising him to go to Meles II, as the people there are friendly. Moriarty departs, and he and the Countess share their appreciation of this new world. Moriarty releases computer control, when Picard walks in to discontinue a holodeck program. He then walks out of the holodeck to find Data and Barclay. He then discontinues Moriarty's original program, now on the true real Enterprise. Picard had fooled Moriarty. The systems are back online, and the ship are pulling back to a safe distance. Barclay picks up some sort of cube and heads to the conference in the observation lounge. Picard explains how they programmed the holodeck inside the holodeck to fool Moriarty. He has placed them in a device that will let them live their lives, and die, without ever knowing what happened. He explains that their reality may also be no more than an elaborate simulation, which prompts Barclay to try to "end program." The new star is formed. Memorable Quotes "It takes a trained eye to notice certain discrepancies. For example, whether someone is right, or left handed..." (tosses an object to the living brother) "Your brother was right-handed. The alleged suicide note was written by a left-handed individual, such as yourself." "Data, it's in his right hand." "There seems to be something wrong with the holodeck's spatial orientation program." "London's greatest detective!" :- Data (as Sherlock Holmes) and La Forge (as Dr. Watson) on the holodeck "... all this might just be an elaborate simulation running inside an little device sitting on someone's table." (all but Barclay leave) "Computer, end program" :- Picard and Barclay in the senior staff meeting Background Information * This episode makes several references to, and is a continuation of, the events of the second Season episode . * The "planetary collision" seen as a subplot in this episode bears a remarkable similarity to the same scenes in George Pal's When Worlds Collide (1951), and may have been intended as a homage to the film. (See also: "When Planets Collide") * This episode has one of the longest teasers (scene prior to the opening theme) at around six and a half minutes. * Captain Picard comes perilously close to breaking the "fourth wall" at the episode's end when he muses about whether their reality is just a "simulation playing itself out inside a little box on someone's table" (a reference to the ''Star Trek TV series itself). * The concept of controlling the ship from the holodeck is revisited in as well as . * This episode, and its prequel, mark the basics for the beginning of sentient holographic characters, such as the The Doctor from Voyager and Vic Fontaine from DS9. * An interesting side note is that only a few years later, a holographic character finally gains the ability to leave their zone of confinment. The Doctor's mobile emmitter allows this. It is never explained on-screen, however, if Moriarty was introduced to the technology when the Pathfinder project made contact with Voyager. Links and References Guest Stars *Dwight Schultz as Reginald Barclay *Daniel Davis as James Moriarty *Clement von Franckenstein as a gentleman *Stephanie Beacham as Regina Bartholomew *Christie Haydon as a command officer (uncredited) References Africa; authorization code; class-4 probe; countess; Data; Detria II; Detria VI; Detrian system; gas giant; Heisenberg compensator; Holmes, Sherlock; holo-program; holodeck; holodeck matter; Meles II; omnidirectional holographic diode; pattern enhancer; photonic lifeform; planet; probe; Sakharov; scientist; star; star system; tsetse fly; type-7 shuttlecraft; viewscreen; John H. Watson Timeline ;Stardate 42286.3, 2365 : La Forge's misspoken command prompts the Enterprise-D computer to create a sentient Moriarty. ( ) ;Stardate 46424.1, 2369 : Barclay reactivates Moriarty's hidden program shortly before the collision of the Detrian system planets. |next= }} Category:TNG episodes de:Das Schiff in der Flasche es:Ship in a Bottle nl:Ship in a Bottle